Intriguing Details About Steve Jobs’s Memphis Mansion (May Not Be True)
10:24 am, June 20th, 2009, Leander Kahney
Steve Jobs has reportedly bought a mansion in Memphis. It’s not this one, but maybe he’s living near Elvis’ Graceland. CC-licensed picture by Pictophile.
Back in April, rumors swirled that Steve Jobs had bought a mansion in a swanky neighborhood of downtown Memphis while he was receiving medical treatment. The rumors didn’t gain much traction — it was just too weird — but now the WSJ says Jobs received a life-saving liver transplant at one of the city’s hospitals.
The rumor about the mansion started with Alexander Haislip, who runs a private equity site, PEHub Blog, citing a “well-connected business person in Memphis.”
Today, Haislip adds some more interesting details. It’s a 7,500 square-foot mansion located at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac in a “swank” part of downtown Memphis, Haislip says. Surrounded by old growth trees, the mansion is painted yellow with white trim and a pool in the back.
The mansion, built in 1914, has undergone substantial renovation since it was purchased last month. “I thought the house had flooded and the roof had caved in or something,” one neighborhood resident says. “There was an inordinate number of workers there. There’s been large crews preparing this house for someone.”
Among the renovations? Upgraded security. “Whoever “bought” the house installed video cameras in the trees and there is a security guard in a white jeep,” says another neighborhood resident. “It’s been very secretive.”
Haislip dug into property records hoping to find Steve Jobs on the title, but the new owner is listed as a mysterious LLC, which he says traces back to a Memphis law firm. The lawyer  in charge gave him a no comment and the realtor who sold the mansion said she didn’t know who the client was, she dealt only with the lawyers. Haislip spoke to residents and no one has actually seen Jobs, but one claims to have seen his wife, Laurene Powell.
Haislip didn’t name the street, but it may be Morningside Drive, according to a comment in a related Barron’s blog post.
The commenter also says the mansion was bought by LGHC LLC — the name of the mysterious LLC — which he says shares an address with Memphis law firm Burch,Porter & Johnson.
I did some digging myself. The law firm appears to be real, but a search for Morningside Drive in Memphis turns up only Morningside Street, which is definitely NOT a Steve Jobs kind of neighborhood judging by the Street View pictures.
I also searched local tax and property records for Steve Jobs, Laurene Powell and LGHC LLC, as well as several real estate sites and Zillow — turning up nothing.
Meanwhile, CNBC is reporting that it confirmed Jobs’ private Gulstream jet flew from San Jose to Memphis in late March, which fits the WSJ’s transplant timeframe.
Posted by Leander Kahney in News, Steve Jobs | Comment on this article
Try Morningside Place in Memphis, TN…you might have better luck…
Rich, on June 20th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
36 Morningside PLACE
Sasha, on June 21st, 2009 at 1:00 am
C’mon. Use some detective work. Google makes it easy
It is 36 Morning Side Place in Memphis.
happy google map street viewing/zillowing
Craig, on June 21st, 2009 at 4:07 am
There is a Morning Side Pl., Memphis which is looks more like it.
Diederik, on June 21st, 2009 at 5:05 am
Morning Side Place is a very nice group of homes in a “fringe pocket” of Memphis. Just a few blocks away is an area that would not be a Jobs type of neighborhood, few blocks past that – Jobs friendly again.
The 2 major streets to the north and south – Poplar & Union – are both direct drives to the Medical center which is only about 3 miles down the road.
Madapple, on June 21st, 2009 at 9:07 am
And this is newsworthy? If this is a sampling of your work and the responses are representative of the population, a few million Americans need to get a life.
chano, on June 22nd, 2009 at 10:59 am